Getting Started

Deciding on baby's name is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make during your pregnancy (but really, no pressure!). Finding a great baby name can also be a lot of fun. Whether you're looking for baby names for girls or boys, it's a good idea to figure out the basics first. Do you like the idea of using a well-known, traditional baby name or are you looking for something more quirky? How attached are you to the meaning behind your baby's name? Is there a certain baby name origin you want to concentrate on? We've put together the ultimate guide to baby names to help you find the ideal fit. Get started by browsing through tons of baby name lists to narrow down your search. Our lists divide baby names up by origin (everything from Italian baby names to Japanese names), gender (baby boy names and baby girl names), and name types (celebrity baby names to unique baby names). Each baby name detail page will give you the important info you need: baby name meanings, baby name rankings, suggestions, and more. Try out our innovative baby namer tool to search through thousands of baby names. Don't forget to check out the fun stuff like our baby name style quiz and articles, all written to help you on your baby name search. Still can't find the name you're looking for? Check out name suggestions from members of TheBump.com community and share your own favorites on our Baby Names board!

More about baby names Less about baby names

jacob

origin: Hebrew

meaning: Supplanter

This name has topped the charts since ’99, and with good reason: It offers both a strong, biblical name (Jacob) and a cool, casual nickname (Jake). Let’s face it: Common as it is, Jacob is a great name. Its popularity, on the other hand, is daunting. It might make you feel better to know that even though it spent about a decade as number one, right now a smaller percentage of baby boys are bearing it, since more names are being used in general. The meaning is also a little iffy: It represents a “heel-grabber” or “supplanter,” stemming from the original Jacob’s days as a fetus -- he was the competitive little infant who emerged from the womb holding his brother Esau’s leg and later conned him out of their dying father’s inheritance and final blessing. On the other side of things though, Jacob did wind up as the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. Once again, you make the call. It was mainly a Jewish name until the Protestant Reformation when Christians (and today, everyone) started using it.